There were notable and disturbing absentees at the press conference detailing the Chiefs stripper scandal, writes Chris Rattue.

The Chiefs had a tremendous reputation from a fairytale rise to prominence has a large black cloud hanging over it.

Dave Rennie will leave New Zealand rugby at the completion of the 2017 Super Rugby season.

Sponsors of the Chiefs have been sent a memo by the franchise asking them to refrain from leaking any developments to the media.

The stripper who was allegedly subjected to indecent touching by Chiefs rugby players has gone to ground, while the players themselves are getting ready for the Mitre 10 cup.

The stripper at the centre of the Chiefs rugby scandal has been sacked from one of the companies she works for.

Chiefs need to find a way to penalise those who have let down their good name. The main instigators will be known to the All Black selectors.

Chiefs aren't brimming with bad eggs driving a bad culture, but their moral compass has pointed them in the wrong direction at least twice in past year.

The Chiefs bosses will wake up tomorrow and hope the last 48 hours was just a bad dream.

Comments made by the Chiefs' major sponsor in the wake of allegations of inappropriate contact with a stripper, have been described as 'appalling and disappointing'.

Steve Hansen has reminded his players of what is expected of them as All Blacks in the wake of the Chiefs stripper scandal.

The Chiefs are in further hot water after hiring a stripper who claims the players were touching her despite being warned not to.

The story of the both the Chiefs' season and their semifinal defeat can be told in two numbers.

All the action as the Hurricanes beat the Chiefs in the first Super Rugby semifinal at Westpac Stadium.

There's nothing quite like x-factor to get the job done. And there's no one with x-factor like Beauden Barrett and Ardie Savea.

The Hurricanes will host the Super Rugby final for the second straight campaign, proving far too strong for the Chiefs.

The Hurricanes will face the Chiefs without their skipper in tonight's sudden-death clash.

In a pure meritocracy like professional sport, why has the Chiefs' halfback job been so evenly shared?

The Hurricanes have lost all six of their playoff games against fellow Kiwi teams. Not a good omen heading into tomorrow's semifinal with the Chiefs

The reinforcements have arrived for the Chiefs, with Sam Cane, Seta Tamanivalu and Michael Leitch all set for Saturday's semifinal.

Hurricanes captain Dane Coles will be given until match day to prove his fitness for Saturday's Super Rugby semifinal against the Chiefs at Westpac Stadium.

Chiefs coach Dave Rennie has reiterated his intention to head offshore after Steve Hansen earlier in the week extended his All Blacks

The Chiefs have received a couple of positive pieces of injury news, with both Sam Cane and Seta Tamanivalu close to fitness.

The semifinal spotlight will fall squarely on the two young Hurricanes hookers charged with stepping into Dane Coles' shoes to face the Chiefs.

Will it be an all-New Zealand Super Rugby final or will the Lions spoil the party?

The stakes could hardly be higher but both the Hurricanes and the Chiefs might be missing their inspirational skippers for Saturday night's semifinal.

The Chiefs will face the Hurricanes in the Super Rugby semifinals after crushing the Stormers in Cape Town.

The top-qualifying Hurricanes will next weekend host the Chiefs in Wellington, while the defending champion Highlanders will travel to Johannesburg.

There's no questioning the Hurricanes' quality, writes Justin Marshall. Tonight against the Sharks is about learning the lessons of their past.